Animal Behaviour Biology 4701
offered simultaneously: BIOL 6351 Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology
winter term January-April 2012
last update February 10, 2012 by IL Jones
course outline winter 2012
'A Dangerous Method' (film review by ILJ)
lab (seminar) sessions
total mark: 20, including content (describe and criticize study -10), clarity (3), precision (spelling grammar brevity, 2), audience (engage, entertain, educate, 4), production values of powerpoint visuals (1)
February 6 Optimality modelling
Robbins et al. 2007. Optimizing protein intake as a foraging strategy to maximize mass gain in an omnivore. Oikos 116(10): 1675-1682. presenter: Jill Cribb
Sandlin. 2000. Cue use affects resource subdivision among three coexisting hummingbird species. Behavioural Ecology 11: 550-559. presenter: Meghan Donovan
February 13 Mate choice
Tobler et al. 2008. Does divergence in female mate choice affect male size distributions in two cave fish populations? Biology Letters 4(5): 452-454. presenter: April Spence
Amundsen and Forsgren. 2001. Male mate choice selects for female coloration in a fish. PNAS 98(23): 13155-13160. presenter: Melanie Layden
Cheng, M.W and R.L. Caldwell. 2000. Sex identification and mating in the blue-ringed octopus, Hapalochlaena lunulata. Animal Behaviour 60: 27-33. presenter: Michelle Valliant
February 27 Mating systems
Hartley, I. R., and Davies, N.B. 1994). Limits to Cooperative Polyandry in Birds. Proceedings: Biological Sciences 257(1348): 67-73. presenter: Brittany Jensen
Briskie J. V., Montgomerie R.D., Poldmaa T., and P.T. Boag. 1998. Paternity and paternal care in the polygynandrous Smith's Longspur. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 43: 181-190. presenter: Jodie Battiste
March 5 Parental care, or not
Lyon and Eadie. 2004. An obligate brood parasite trapped in the intraspecific arms race of its hosts. Nature 432: 390-393. presenter: Erin Lynch
March 12 Human behaviour I - genetics and behaviour
Burdick et al. 2006. Genetic variation in DTNBP1 influences general cognitive ability. Human Molecular genetics 15(10): 1563-1568. presenter: Sara Clement
Manuck et al. 1999. Aggression and Anger-Related Traits Associated With a Polymorphism of the Tryptophan Hydroxylase Gene. Biological Psychiatry 45(5): 603-614. presenter: Hiliary Martin
Rodrigues et al. 2009. Oxytocin receptor genetic variation relates to empathy and stress reactivity in humans. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (USA) 106 (50): 21437-21441. presenter: Catie Young
March 19 Human behaviour II - sexual behaviour
Little, A.C., Jones,B.C., DeBruine, L.M., & Feinbergc, D.R. (2008). Symmetry and
sexual dimorphism in human faces: interrelated preferences suggest both
signal quality. Behavioral Ecology, 19, 902-908. presenter: Kelsey Hayden
Daly, M., Wilson, M., & S.G. Weghorst. (2008). Male sexual jealousy. Ethology and Sociobiology, 3, 11-27. presenter: Hannah Long
(presenter chooses) presenter: Asfa Boodhun
March 26 Human behaviour III - adaptation, applications of evolutionary psychology
Wedekind et al. 1995. MHC-dependent mate preferences in humans. Proceedings of the Royal Society (Ser B) 260: 245-249. presenter: Melissa Lannon.
(presenter chooses) presenter:
January 16 (ian presenting)
January 23 Adaptation and Behaviour
Gould & Lewontin. 1979. The spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm: a critique of the adaptationist program. Proc.Roy.Soc. Ser. B (Lond.) 205: 581-598. presenter: Elizabeth Eberendu
Davies et al. 2011. Genome-wide association studies establish that human intelligence is highly heritable and polygenic. Molecular Psychiatry (2011) 16, 996–1005. presenter: Jason Laurich
January 30 Co-adaptation and Behaviour
Heiling and Herberstein. 2004. Predator-prey coevolution: Australian native bees avoid their spider predators. Biology Letters - Proc Roy Soc 271: S196-S198. presenter: Kayla McKnight
Fullard et al. 2004. Extinction of the acoustic startle response in moths endemic to bat free habitat. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 17: 856-861. presenter: Kathryn MacDonald
Hammerschmidt et al. 2009. Female mice respond to male ultrasonic ‘songs’ with approach behaviour. Biol Lett. 5(5): 589–592. presenter: Alexandra States.
"What if I'm wrong?" (Richard Dawkins - YouTube)
This page is maintained by
Ian L. Jones (iljones 'at' mun.ca)